Instapaper Has Reentered the Ring
Just when I think I’m out, they pull me back in. From the Instapaper blog:
We just launched updates to improve Instapaper’s organizing and sorting tools for iOS, macOS, and web. Features include drag & drop to reorder, sorting improvements, modern swipe actions, better integrations with Shortcuts on iOS, and more!
My status with read-later services being one of perpetual dissatisfaction, I’m always on the lookout for the one that checks all my boxes. At the moment those boxes include a pretty reading interface, a text-to-speech engine worth a damn, a web app, speedy share sheet saving or shortcuts support, modern gestures and context menus, and the ability to read saved items from buckets organized by site. Bonus points are awarded for one-tap sharing articles out using the share sheet, an ‘Archive and next’ button, highlight syncing via Readwise, the ability to read articles on my Kobo, a good video-watching experience, lots of sorting options, and integration with Reeder.
I was as surprised as any to learn today that Instapaper ($2.99/month), the O.G., checks off more boxes than any these days. Let’s take a look:
- Pretty reading interface ✅
- Text-to-speech engine worth a damn ✅ (okay)
- Web app ✅ (better)
- Speedy share sheet saving ✅ (better)
- Shortcuts support ✅ (good)
- Modern gestures ✅
- Context menus ✅
- Ability to read saved items from buckets organized by site ✅ (via Reeder)
- One-tap sharing articles out using the share sheet ❌ (2 taps)
- ‘Archive and next’ button ❌
- Highlight syncing via Readwise ✅
- Ability to read articles on my Kobo ❌
- Good video-watching experience ✅ (better)
- Lots of sorting options ✅
- Integration with Reeder ✅
Score: 12/15
The Competitive Landscape
Here’s how my previous favorite, Readwise Reader ($8.99/month), fares:
- Pretty reading interface ✅
- Text-to-speech engine worth a damn ✅ (better)
- Web app ✅ (best)
- Speedy share sheet saving ✅ (best)
- Shortcuts support ❌
- Modern gestures ❌ (there are gestures, but they’re janky and get in the way more than they help)
- Modern context menus (including for in-article links) ❌
- Ability to read saved items from buckets organized by site ❌
- One-tap sharing articles out using the share sheet ❌ (3 taps)
- ‘Archive and next’ button ✅
- Highlight syncing via Readwise ✅
- Ability to read articles on my Kobo ❌
- Good video-watching experience ✅ (good)
- Lots of sorting options ✅
- Integration with Reeder ❌
Score: 8/15
(I should also mention that Reader has a ton of features that I don’t and won’t use. Article notes, Ghostreader, the feed, configurable views, and the home screen — none have stuck and now feel like extra cruft crowding the library, which is what I live in.)
And the-one-I-should-probably-be-using-but-has-quirks-that-get-under-my-skin-and-is-actively-getting-worse-in-the-name-of-getting-better, Pocket (I can get away with the free features, but $4.99/month for unlimited highlights, search and more):
- Pretty reading interface ✅
- Text-to-speech engine worth a damn ✅ (good)
- Web app ✅ (good)
- Speedy share sheet saving ✅ (best)
- Shortcuts support ⚠️ (okay)
- Modern gestures ❌ (Also janky)
- Modern context menus (including for in-article links) ⚠️ (Not for article list)
- Ability to read saved items from buckets organized by site ❌
- One-tap sharing articles out using the share sheet ❌ (2 taps)
- ‘Archive and next’ button ❌
- Highlight syncing via Readwise ✅
- Ability to read articles on my Kobo ✅
- Good video-watching experience ✅ (good)
- Lots of sorting options ❌
- Integration with Reeder ✅
Score: 9/15
While I probably should just use Pocket as my syncing service and read the majority of the articles directly in Reeder or on my Kobo, I’ve become too reliant on easy access to listening to articles with text-to-speech. Reeder doesn’t offer that, so my primary reading has to be in my chosen service’s dedicated app.
Either an Apple-provided API for enhanced article text-to-speech, or Instapaper (or Reader) integration with Kobo can’t come soon enough! But for now, I think I’ll be satiated with Instapaper’s feature set, and very happy with the decrease in my monthly subscription payments.
A Couple of Last Notes
There are two more features from Instapaper that I really like so far from my brief tests today: (1) You can set up a playlist of articles to listen to, one after the other, and (2) the ‘Report a problem’ quick actions let you identify parsing issues with just two taps.
Also, it was only due to Instapaper’s email notification test that I even heard about, or considered using, their expanded feature set:
We are trying something new by sending product updates via email in addition to posting on our blog.
I’m okay with this for most services, as long as I’ve opted into emails from them already.